Carton expander

ABSTRACT

A plurality of collapsed open ended sleeve-type cartons are withdrawn in sequence from a hopper by feeder means which engages a single wall of each carton and moves in such a direction as to cause another wall of the carton to engage fixed cam means having a camming surface disposed at an angle to the general direction of feeding movement of cartons from the hopper so as partially to set up the open ended sleeve-type carton. A carton feeding operation is performed by a main feeding arm to which a supplementary feeder arm is pivotally connected and biased to impart desired pressure to the carton to facilitate setting the carton up during initial stages of a withdrawal operation. After a carton is withdrawn from the hopper, the feeder means moves into cooperative relationship with a carton stripper which insures that the feeder arm disengages the carton and immediately thereafter an oscillatable pusher advances the carton in partially set-up condition into cooperative engagement with a plurality of spaced flight bars which control the movement of the open ended carton while loading of the carton is effected from both ends simultaneously by suitable guides following which carton end closure panels are folded by machine guides into closed positions and subsequently interlocked by locking means which operates in synchronism with the flight bars to complete the package.

Known machines for loading a plurality of articles through one or bothends of a sleeve-type carton ordinarily are dimensioned and constructedin such a way that substantial spacing between cartons during andfollowing the loading operation is necessary. Of course such spacingimposes a substantial limitation on the quantity of cartons which may beloaded in a given period of time. Sometimes machines of this type areoperated at extremely high speeds in order to offset the inherentdisadvantage which results from widely spacing the cartons during andfollowing loading. Of course high speed operation imposes a much greaterdegree of wear and substantially enhances the possibility of down timeand increases the cost of repairs and maintenance.

Sleeve-type open ended blanks which are collapsed and disposed in ahopper from which the cartons are withdrawn in sequence and whichinclude a glue lap frequently are difficult to set up because glue fromthe lap effects an undesired bond with a panel of the carton which isdisposed in face contacting relation thereto. Cartons of this type alsotend to bow downwardly and thus impede effective withdrawal.

According to this invention, open-ended sleeve-type cartons are fed insequence from a hopper and are manipulated by improved feeder means insuch manner as to insure that any possible undesired bond due to glueused in the glue lap with a face contacting panel is ruptured and inaddition the carton is manipulated during a withdrawal operation so asto be partially set up as it is stripped from the feeder mechanism.Immediately following a stripping operation a carton is moved along theloading path by synchronously oscillatable pusher means which causes theset-up carton with its ends open to move in between a pair of movingflight bars, the width of the flight bars in the direction of travelbeing approximately equal to the spacing between the trailing panel of acarton and the leading panel of a succeeding carton so that undesiredspacing between sequentially movable cartons is eliminated.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a plan view of essential portions of a machine constructedaccording to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front profile view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a set-up open ended sleeve type cartonwhich is manipulated from a hopper, set up into the condition shown inFIG. 3 and then loaded through its open ends and closed by the machineand method of this invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of a portion of the structure shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 with certain parts removed for clarity and which shows thefeeding mechanism at the beginning of a carton feeding operation;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and depicts a feeding operationduring a subsequent stage;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 and depicts the parts in thepositions which they occupy immediately following stripping of apartially set-up carton from the feeder mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 and shows the parts in thepositions which they occupy at approximately the instant when an openended set-up carton is moved in between a pair of spaced synchronouslymoving flight bars for loading and closing; and in which

FIG. 8 is a plan view of structure such as is shown in FIG. 7.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame of the machine is designated F andtwo rows of articles such as are designated at A1 and A2 are broughtinto the entry end of the machine on infeed conveyor 1 and are thendeposited onto moving conveyor 2. The velocity of movement of articlesA1 is controlled in known manner by rotatable starwheel 2 while movementof articles A2 is regulated and metered by starwheel 3. Endless element4 which is rotatably supported on rotatable elements 5 and 6, one ofwhich is a driven element and the other of which is an idler element, isprovided with a plurality of spacer wedges 7 which move into the spacesbetween certain articles A1 and thus divide the articles into spacedgroups. Similarly endless element 8, supported on rotatable elements 9and 10 one of which is driven, is provided with a plurality of spacerwedges 11 which divide the articles A2 into spaced groups. After thearticles are arranged in groups such as a group of six for exampleincluding three articles A1 and three articles A2 they are passeddownwardly between spaced guides 12 and are thus loaded through one openend of a set-up carton disposed at the outlet ends 12A of the guides 12.During and prior to the loading and during end closure operationsperformed on a sleeve, a carton is under the control of a plurality offlight bars 13 which move in synchronism with the other elements of themachine in known manner. The ends of flight bars 13 are secured tospaced chains mounted on sprockets is known manner.

In order to close the ends of a carton after it is loaded, a rotatableelement 14 having lock engaging radially extending probes 15 effects alocking operation on the closure panels at one end of the carton.

The other side of the machine is identical to that described and itsparts will simply be mentioned briefly. For example, articles A3 and A4are brought into the infeed end of the machine on infeed conveyor 16 andare then transferred to conveyor 17 while starwheels 18 and 19 determinethe velocity of movement of the articles on conveyor 17. The articles A3are spaced into groups by endless element 20 which is supported on therotatable elements such as sprockets 21 and 22 and on which spacerwedges 23 are disposed to impart a grouping action. Similarly endlesselement 21 is movably supported by rotatable elements 24 and 25 and isprovided with a series of spacer wedges 26 for grouping the articles A4as explained. Guides 27 are arranged with their discharge ends 27Aalongside and adjacent the path of movement of the open ended sleeveswhich are under the control of spaced flight bars 13 which move fromleft to right so that articles A3 and A4 are loaded into the oppositeend of the open ended sleeve type cartons from that through which thearticles A1 and A2 are loaded. Closure panels at the end of the cartonthrough which articles A3 and A4 are loaded after being plowed intoclosed position, are closed by rotatable closure element 28 havingradially disposed lock engaging probes 29. Of course all the partsoperate in synchronism so that when a carton clears rotatable elements14 and 28 it is then complete in finished condition.

Collapsed open ended cartons C are disposed in hopper 30 above the pathsof movement of the articles A1, A2 on one side and the articles A3, A4on the other side. Carton feeding means generally designated by thenumeral 31 is pivotally mounted at pivot 32 and operated by suitablemeans not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in an oscillating fashion intoengagement with a lowermost carton C in hopper 30 to engage that cartonand to withdraw it from the hopper. The collapsed blank is withdrawnfrom the hopper and is opened at least partially during the withdrawaloperation by downward movement of feeder means 31 which causes a part ofthe carton to engage the cam surface 33A of the fixed cam 33 thus toimpart swinging movement to the carton panels which are foldably joinedto the wall of the carton which is engaged by feeder means 31. A cartonthat has been withdrawn is indicated at C1.

In order to move a carton located such as that indicated as C1 into thespace between a pair of spaced flight bars 13 which are driven from leftto right during loading and closing operations by virtue of theirmounting to a pair of endless elements 13A disposed on opposite sides ofthe machine, an oscillatable pusher 34, pivotally mounted at 35 anddriven by suitable means from left to right about pivot 35, engages thetrailing edge of carton C1. As the oscillating motion of pusher 34 tothe right continues, the leading part of the carton moves intoengagement with flight bar 13 which is disposed at the left hand end ofthe working or upper reach of endless element 13A. Continued movement ofthe working reach of element 13A toward the right as viewed in FIGS. 1and 2 and continued incremental movement of pusher element 34 about itspivot 35 in a clockwise direction causes the carton C1 to occupy theposition between two flight bars 13 represented at C2 in FIG. 2. Duringthis phase of the packaging operation, closure end flaps of the cartonare plowed upwardly by fixed guides 36 and 37 and a pair of rotatablepre-brake elements 38 and 39 having radially disposed probes 40 and 41initiate swinging movement of locking tabs formed in the upper endclosure panels out of the plane of their associated panels and conditionthose tabs for subsequent insertion into the appropriate apertures in acooperating closure panel.

An open ended sleeve type carton which includes a manufacturer's gluejoint and which is provided with end closure panels and their associatedinterlocking means is shown in FIG. 3. The machine and method of thisinvention are specially adapted for use with the carton of FIG. 3. Thiscarton includes a wall panel 45 foldably joined along fold line 46 towall panel 47 and foldably joined along fold line 48 to wall panel 49.Wall panel 49 includes overlapping panels which form a glue joint at theintermediate portion of wall 49, the glue joint being designated at 49A.Wall panel 50 is foldably joined to wall panel 47 along fold line 51 andto wall panel 49 along fold line 52. End closure panels 53 and 54 arefoldably joined to one end edge of panels 50 and 45 along fold lines 55and 56. Locking tabs 57 are foldably joined to panel 53 and cooperatewith locking apertures 58 formed in panel 54. Flaps 59 and 60 arefoldably joined to corresponding ends of walls 47 and 49. The glue joint60A is simply a continuation of a joint designated 49A and comprisesoverlapping edges of the upper and lower parts of flap 60.

At the other end of the carton, closure panel 61 is foldably joined towall 50 along fold line 62 while closure panel 63 is foldably joined towall 45 along a fold line not observable in FIG. 3. Locking tabs 64 arefoldably joined to closure panel 61 and locking apertures such as 58 areformed in closure panel 63 but are not observable in FIG. 3. Flap 65 isfoldably joined to the end wall 47 and a similar flap not shown isfoldably joined to the corresponding end of panel 49. A pair of handgripping apertures 66 and 67 are formed in panel 49 and the strip ofmaterial therebetween is of double thickness due to the glue lap 49Awhich forms a part of wall 49. For a more complete description of thecarton 47 and of its closure means, reference may be had to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 560,956 filed Mar. 21, 1975.

Collapsed cartons C in hopper 30 are arranged with their panels 45 and49 in the same plane and constituting the lower panels of the stackedcartons. Stated otherwise, folding the panels 47 and 49 in a clockwisedirection about fold lines 46 and 48 as viewed in FIG. 3 orients thecarton in the proper disposition for insertion into the hopper 30. Whenso inserted the fold line 46 is in engagement with the back wall 30A ofhopper 30 and the fold line 52 is adjacent the front wall 30B of hopper30.

The dimension of panel 45 between fold lines 46 and 48 is substantial asis the dimension of panel 49 between fold lines 48 and 52. Thus when thecartons are stacked in hopper 30, there is a tendency for the cartons tobow downwardly particularly since panels 45 and 49 are interconnected bythe fold line 48. Furthermore glue from the glue lap 49A sometimesbecomes adhered to the face contacting inner surface of panel 50 when acarton is collapsed and secures panels 49 and 50 together. For thesereasons it sometimes is difficult to cause a carton which is collapsedto occupy a properly set-up condition as depicted at C2 in FIG. 2.

In view of the above characteristics of sleeve type cartons such as thatshown in FIG. 3, special feeder means has been provided according tothis invention. As is best shown in FIGS. 4-8 inclusive, a main feederarm 70 is pivotally mounted about fixed pivot 32 and at its right handend is provided with a plurality of suction cups 72 to which vacuum isapplied in known manner and which are swung into engagement with panel45 when main feeder arm 70 is swung in a counterclockwise directionabout fixed pivot 32. Operating movement is imparted to main feeder arm70 by an arm 73 which is integral with arm 70 and to which a drivinglink 74 is pivoted at 75. Link 74 is reciprocated from left to right byrotatable operating element 76 which is disposed about fixed shaft 77and rotated by any suitable means. Driving link 74 is pivotallyconnected to driving element 76 at 78. Thus rotation of driving element76 imparts oscillatable swinging movement to main feeder arm 70 aboutits center of oscillation 32 to cause the suction cups 72 to move intoengagement with panel 45 of the lowermost carton C in the hopper 30.Downward movement of suction cups 72 withdraws the lowermost carton fromthe hopper and swings it into cooperative engagement with carton openingmeans in the form of a pair of fixed cams 33 having cam surfaces 33Awhich are disposed at an angle to the generally downward direction ofmovement of the suction cups 72. Since the suction cups 72 engage thepanel 45, downward movement of the feeder arm 73 causes the edge 52 ofthe carton to ride along cam surface 33A and thus imparts swingingmovement to panel 49 in a counterclockwise direction about fold line 48and simultaneously swings panel 47 counterclockwise about fold line 46so that a carton C is partially set up in part due to the cooperativeaction of the main feeder arm 70 and the cam surfaces 33A as generallyrepresented in FIG. 5.

Since there is a tendency for the lower panels 45 and 49 to bowdownwardly and since glue may cause an undesired adhesion between panel49 and its face contacting panel 50 which in turn tends to bow the upperpanels 47 and 50 downwardly, it is necessary to prevent downward bowingof panels 47 and 50 during the initial stages of a carton feedingoperation and also to insure rupture of any glue adhesion that may beformed between the glue joint in panel 49 and the inner surface of panel50.

In order to impart an upward force on panels 47 and 50 as the panel 45is drawn downwardly, supplementary feeder arm 81 is provided and ispivotally mounted on main feeder arm 70 at pivot 82. This arm isprovided with a pair of upwardly projecting fingers 83 which aredisposed to enter hand gripping aperture 67 and to engage the lowersurface of panel 50. With supplementary feeder arm 81 arranged with itsprotruding fingers 83 is secure contact with panel 50 as the clockwiseswinging movement of main feeder arm 70 begins, initial setting up ofthe carton may proceed whereby panels 45 and 49 are swung downwardlysomewhat while panel 50 is maintained in its normal position within thehopper 30.

In order to cause the supplementary feeder arm 81 to function as desiredby maintaining an upward force on panel 50, this arm is interconnectedby an operating link 84 the right hand end of which is pivotallyconnected at 85 with supplementary operating arm 81 and a compressionalbiasing spring 86 is disposed about operating link 84 and at its lefthand end is in engagement with shoulder 87 formed integrally onoperating link 84 and which at its right hand end is in engagement witha bracket 88 affixed to main feeder arm 70 and through which operatinglink 84 is slidable via an aperture formed in bracket 88 but which isnot shown in the drawings. The left hand end of operating link 84 ispivoted at 89 to a swing link 90 which in turn is oscillatable aboutpivot 32 which is also the pivot for main operating feeder arm 70. Theleft hand surface of the upper end of swing link 90 is engageable withfixed stop 91.

From the above description of the main feeder arm 70 and of thesupplementary feeder arm 81 and associated apparatus, it is apparentthat with the parts in the position shown in FIG. 4 clockwise swingingmovement of main feeder arm 70 about its pivot 32 is accompanied bycounterclockwise rotation of supplementary feeder arm 81 about itspivotal connection 82 with main feeder arm 70 due to the bias ofcompression spring 86 operating against shoulder 87 of operating link84. Thus as main feeder arm 70 swings clockwise about its pivot 32, thesupplementary feeder arm 81 swings through an angular increment aboutits pivot 82 in a counterclockwise direction so that as panel 45 of thelowermost carton is drawn downwardly, panel 50 is maintained in itsnormal position in the hopper due to the force exerted by fingers 83which extend through hand gripping aperture 67 and into contact with theinner surface of panel 50. Thus as is shown in FIG. 5 the cooperativeaction of the main feeder arm 70 and supplementary feeder arm 81 insuresa proper withdrawal of the carton from collapsed condition within hopper30 into a partially set-up condition as shown in FIG. 5.

Once a carton is withdrawn from the hopper and partially set up due tothe action of the supplementary feeder arm and to the action of camsurfaces 33A, the carton then is moved to the lowermost positiondepicted in FIG. 6 where it is disposed atop the fixed carton stripperdesignated by the numeral 92 and occupies the position indicated at C1.In FIG. 8 it is apparent that carton stripper 92 is generally U-shapedwith an aperture disposed medially thereof and having a space 93 throughwhich the operating arm 70 and associated operating link 84 may move tooccupy positions below the stripper 92 as shown in FIG. 6. Of coursethis action causes a carton such as C1 to become detached from thesuction cups 72 and positions the carton for subsequent and immediatesynchronized engagement with oscillatable pusher bar 34. This bar swingsthrough an increment of oscillation in a clockwise direction about itspivot 35 and is so operated by any suitable known operating meansomitted from the drawings for clarity. The operation of pusher bar 34causes a carton located as indicated at C1 to move into engagement withthe trailing surface of a transversely disposed flight bar 13 andmaintains the carton in such position until a subsequent flight bar 13moves in behind the trailing panel of the carton when it is moved to aposition such as that designated at C2. When so disposed, the carton C2is in effect fixed in position between a pair of spaced flight bars 13and thus is incapable of escaping therefrom so that its position isfully and absolutely controlled. During this phase of the operation, endclosure panels 53 and 61 ride atop guide bars 36 and 37 and passunderneath the prebrake rotatable elements 38 and 39 respectively whichswing the locking tabs 57 out of the plane of panel 53 and conditionthese tabs for subsequent insertion into the apertures 58 and swing thelocking tabs 64 out of the plane of their associated panel 61 andcondition the locking tabs for subsequent insertion into the apertures(not shown) which are formed in panel 63. This prebraking action isfacilitated by radially extending probes 40 and 41. Closure panels 53and 61 are held in an upper position after the prebraking operation byfixed guides 71 and 71A prior to the closing and locking operations.

Of course sidewise motion of a carton such as C2 is prevented byengagement of the closure panels and associated end structure with theplows 36 and 37 which cooperate with the prebrake rotatable elements 38and 39.

A carton such as that disposed at position C2 as represented in FIG. 7is interposed between its leading and trailing flight bars 13 and movestoward the right through and into cooperative engagement with suitableplows such as are designated in FIG. 2 by the numeral 94 whichmanipulate the end closure panels such as 53, 54 into closed positionand in like fashion plows 95 manipulate panels 61 and 63 into closedposition. The flaps 59, 60 and 65 and the associated flap which isopposite flap 65 and adjoined to wall 49 are closed immediately prior toclosing of the closure panels 53, 54, 61 and 63 by suitable means (notshown) but which is conventional in construction and in operation. Oncethe end closure panels are folded to their closed positions, they areinterlocked by rotatable locking means 14 and 28 which include lockingfingers 15 and 29 which fingers engage the locks such as 57 and 64 andforce those locks into the apertures 58 and similar apertures in panel63 to complete the packaging operation as described in more detail inthe above mentioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 560,956 filed Mar.21, 1975.

From the above description, it is apparent that by the special mainfeeder arm and supplementary feeder arm constructed according to thisinvention, the inherent tendency of an open ended, glued sleeve typecarton to bow downwardly in the hopper and perhaps to have undesiredadhesions of panels due to the glue lap, are overcome by pressureapplied to the carton by the supplementary feeder arm 81 and associatedparts. Furthermore it is apparent that complete control of the blank ismaintained by the unique cooperation of the feeder means, the pusher,and flight bars and that effective continuation of the opening operationinitiated by the main feeder arm and the fixed cam structure immediatelypreceding stripping of the carton by the stripper insures an efficientloading operation with a minimum of difficulty and at maximum speed duein part to the precisely controlled cooperation of the parts so as toincrease the output of the machine or conversely to reduce the rate atwhich the parts wear.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A machine forsequentially manipulating collapsed pre-glued apertured sleeve typecartons out of a hopper and into set-up open ended condition for loadingthrough the open ends thereof, said machine comprising a main feeder armfor sequentially withdrawing the cartons from the hopper, and asupplementary feeder arm arranged to project through an aperture in alower carton wall to engage an upper carton wall thereby to disrupt anyadhesive bond between said upper and said lower carton walls so as tofacilitate setting up of the collapsed cartons into open endedcondition.
 2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the cartons includea glued joint formed in said lower wall adjacent said aperture.
 3. Amachine according to claim 1 wherein said aperture constitutes a fingerreceiving carrying aperture.
 4. A machine for sequentially manipulatingcollapsed sleeve type cartons out of a hopper and into set-up open endedcondition for loading through the open ends thereof, said machinecomprising an oscillatable main feeder arm for sequentially withdrawingthe cartons from the hopper, and a supplementary feeder arm pivotallymounted on said main feeder arm and biased toward the hopper andengageable with a carton panel during the initial stages of a cartonfeeding operation for preventing undesired bowing thereof.
 5. A machinefor sequentially manipulating collapsed sleeve type cartons out of ahopper and into set-up open ended condition for loading through the openends thereof, said machine comprising an oscillatable main feeder armfor sequentially withdrawing the cartons from the hopper, and asupplementary feeder arm pivotally mounted on the swing end of said mainfeeder arm for engaging the cartons during feeding operations forpreventing undesired bowing thereof, and an oscillatable operating linkhaving a radius of oscillation different from that of said main feederarm for swinging said supplementary feeder arm about its pivotalmounting.
 6. A machine according to claim 5 wherein the center ofoscillation of said operating link is movable through an arcuate pathabout the center of oscillation of said main feeder arm.
 7. A machineaccording to claim 6 wherein the arcuate path of movement of the centerof oscillation of said operating link is determined by a swing linkswingable about a center which is coaxially disposed relative to thecenter of oscillation of said main feeder arm and which pivotallyconnected with said operating link.
 8. A machine according to claim 7wherein the swinging movement of said swing link in one direction isdetermined by a fixed stop.
 9. A machine according to claim 8 whereinbiasing means is arranged to react between a part of said operating linkand a part of said main feeder arm to impart swinging movement to saidsupplementary feeder arm in the general direction of the hopper duringthe initial stages of a feeding operation.
 10. A machine according toclaim 8 wherein swinging movement of said supplementary feeder arm inthe general direction of said hopper is due in part to the force exertedthereon by biasing means reacting between a part of said main feeder armand a part of said operating link.